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Pierce County Ferry out of service until further notice

The Pierce County Ferry is expected to be out of service most of Feb. 29 following electrical issues on the M/V Steilacoom II.

The ferry lost steering controls on one engine as it departed Steilacoom at 5:45 a.m. for the first run of the day. The ferry returned to the dock, where crews found damage to the steering electrical panel. Repair technicians arrived onsite around 9:30 a.m. to assess the damage.

“We apologize to our ferry riders for this inconvenience,” said Deb Wallace, Pierce County Public Works airport and ferry administrator. “We are working with our repair technicians to identify the next steps for this situation. We will post regular updates for our riders.”

The system’s second ferry, the M/V Christine Anderson, has been out of service while repair work was completed to its water cooling pipes. The United States Coast Guard will inspect the repairs later this morning.

The Christine Anderson is then expected to undergo operational and safety testing later this afternoon, and may be available to carry passengers this evening. The public should expect to see the Christine Anderson landing at Steilacoom and Anderson Island during the testing, though the ferry is not able to carry passengers until the testing is complete.

The Pierce County Ferry provides service between the town of Steilacoom and Anderson and Ketron islands.